The Good Brother
by Papercanvas
Summary: Valentine is gone. Or so Helena thought he was. A mysterious Valentine clone emerges at her school, intertwining the real world and the world of Helena's own making. Updates: Finally starting a sequel to The Dark Prince. *sorry I failed out on this hardcore (4 years o o)*
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

I cringed. The air seemed heavier. My body felt magnetized, like I was being drawn down to the floor. Valentine said he would visit. He had left out when, but my mind hadn't processed that fact because I was stuck on how he declined to stay without hesitation.

I walked over and closed my curtains. The moonlight peeked through the slits in the fabric, highlighting a pillow resting on my bed. Taking the invitation, I laid down, counting my slowing breaths.

Mum woke me up, and I didn't fight getting up. I moved like my body was suspended in maple syrup. Confused, I couldn't figure it out. I felt energized enough; but I saw my arms blurred as I moved, out of focus as I saw each and every placement they went through as they swung by my side. I decided to ignore it, my lack of sleep probably to blame.

Breakfast dragged along equally, and I didn't even notice I was halfway through the bus ride to school. At school I followed along a lot better, and found myself more engaged in my classes once I forgot about what happened at home.

During lunch is when something weird entered my consciousness. I became more aware of a figure in my peripheral vision. They were very familiar, although I never looked him straight in the face while I was eating. When I was walking out the door, I finally caught a glimpse of him. He was seated at a square table, two other people flanking each side. They were all laughing, enjoying some witty comment the darker haired guy had said. His teeth flashed in a huge smile, and he lightly grabbed the back of his neck, next to this strawberry-blond hair, which I noted was short and gelled upwards.

I gasped loud enough that a few girls sitting at a table near me looked up, eyebrows raised in question. Silently spinning around, I took off out the door, clenching my jaw that had embarrassingly dropped open for a second when I saw him. Stopped at a locker a few rows down, my mind braked as paused to comprehend what I at least thought I saw.

The same Valentine doppelganger that I saw one day during class, while the real Valentine sat in my closet, was sitting in my cafeteria. Laughing. That day I was sure I had made a mistake. I turned around; still close enough to the lunchroom to see through the open door. And there he was. A strange pale leather jacket, brown pants; it was nowhere near as odd looking as Valentine's robe and slacks combination. However, there was something even more disturbing then his outfit, and the fact that he was still sitting at the table. He was actually staring back at me.

His friends were still occupied with their food, but he was staring blankly at me. Hunched over the table, he sat absolutely still. Terrified, I backed up into the lockers, and ran down the hall.

It wasn't until I was on the bus again that I had to do something. My options were limited, and my theories on how this was even possible kept jumping around my head. Was it possible that Valentine found a way in to my school from the City of Light? Or was there more then one Valentine? The idea scared me. Did this person even know they were my Valentine?

I was silent through dinner, but my parents didn't mind. Aunt Nan was over, and she kept them busy with the drab details of her week. Moving my potatoes around, I waited a few minutes before I asked to be excused. My dad gave me a funny look but continued listening to Nan's stories.

Upstairs, I cradled Valentine's puppet in my left hand. I wondered if there was some way to contact him, to ask him what was going on. I cautiously started focusing my thoughts, narrowing it down to chanting "Valentine, where are you?" in my head, while I closed my eyes, visualizing him. After a few minutes, I opened one eye. The room was silent, the sun quietly sinking in my window. I let out a defeated sigh. Telepathy was out. In that case, I'd have to get over shock of seeing Valentine's double and actually go up to him to find out what was going on. I fell asleep to worrisome images of what the conversation was going to be like.

Math class started as dreary and uninteresting as the rain that pounded against the window outside. Mrs. Tweedy was drawing the equation for slope on the board, as I twiddled my thumbs in terror. How could ask him for the information about him and Valentine without looking like a complete idiot? What if he had no idea who I was talking about, and it all just a coincidence?

The bell rang vigorously, and I strode last out the door into the writhing mass of bodies in the hallway. Over at my locker, a group of younger boys grouped around another, holding some video game in his hands. When I brushed passed them, they looked at me with irritated expressions.

I reluctantly shuffled through the lunch line, snapping my neck around to see if he was here. Sure enough, he was seated at the same table. Oddly, he sat alone, eating a sandwich.

As I paid and exited the line, I pretended to be looking for absent friends. I flitted glances from around the room, back to him. He wasn't facing me, and I swung a wide girth around him, opting for a small two-seater table along the wall opposite of him. I guess I put my tray down harder then I thought, because I saw him look up out of the corner of my eye. Gnawing on a pear, I faked trying to look bored. He went from looking absentminded to smug in an instant, gazing over at me. My blood boiled.

He stood up lazily, like he was getting up to leave, when he paused. I felt my arms stiffen, and he slid his tray onto my table. I probably looked like as if I was shocked by a cattle prod. He kept a steady stare on me as I pulled my head up to look at him.

"Hi there. I noticed you have a blueberry muffin. I was wondering if you would like to trade me for a chocolate mousse. If that's alright."

Was he kidding?

"Uh, um, sure. Why?"

I pushed my muffin over to him tentatively. He picked up his mousse and placed it on my tray, next to my arm.

"I'm allergic to chocolate. I grabbed it by accident." He smiled softly.

"Oh." I replied flatly. I wasn't expecting this at all. Not only did my conversation starter I had stored disappear altogether, I had no idea where this was headed.

After a short silence, he coughed.

"So, um, my name is Terry…" He trailed off, leaving an expectant pause.

"Helena." I said, quieter then I thought. It took me a second to realize he was trying to introduce himself.

"Ah. So, is lunch always this frightening?"

My eyes grew enormous. "Oh! Oh no. No. It's the food. Are you new here?"

"My second week. Yes, I'm quite appalled at the food here too. Very suspicious." He chuckled.

"Where are you from?" I blurted out, so fast he flinched.

"About 30 miles north. Parent's job relocated. What about you?" He gestured in my direction.

"My parents run the Campbell Circus, by the beach."

His face lit up immediately. Just like Valentine.

"Really? Always loved the circus. What's your special talent?"

"I just juggle, nothing really spectacular."

This time he radiated pure excitement.

"Fascinating! How often do you perform?"

"Oh, it's every weekend. In the evening. I train during the week."

I abruptly stopped talking for a minute. I felt I had just told my life story to someone I wasn't even sure was the person I thought I knew. He leaned back, drinking in the circus information. He picked up my muffin, and tossed it around, between his palms. Then he snatched it and took a quick bite.

"Juggling is one of my hobbies." He remarked.

I could only gawk at him more.

"I don't have food on my face, do I?" He put down the muffin, suddenly wiping his jaw with his hands.

"N-No..." I stuttered. Then I tried to reason with myself. Why was I afraid? Was I afraid he was some normal version of Valentine? Why would I be scared of that?

Moving my tray I started to get up. It was almost time for my next class, but the clock was not what I was concerned about. Terry, as he called himself, looked up at me in surprise.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"I'm going to be late. For Literature class." I stopped staring at him and began to amble away.

"Oh.." Terry's face looked a bit disappointed.

I quickly made myself turn around and walk into the hallway.

Later, as I sat on the smelly bus once again, I took out my black markers and scribbled shapes into my notebook. There was something about that Terry that made him different from Valentine. He had the same self-focused, self-absorbed aspect, but at the same time very curious. His eyes were the same sun-lit hazel. Then it suddenly came to me. When Terry stood up, he seemed almost my height. Just a smidge taller. But he was shorter then Valentine.

"That's weird." I spoke quietly to myself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Valentine woke up, yawning as he used his feet to feel for a steady surface. He'd fallen asleep in someone's junk room again, and he didn't want to put his feet down on a rake, like he did last time. He still had a bruise where the handle had hit him on the arm.

He coughed as dust swirled around him, and he peered out a scummy window. It was definitely morning, the townsfolk were out and about.

"Wonderful." He muttered to himself.

Out on the street, he negotiated around the busy shoppers and sellers, looking for a certain alleyway. He found the red carpeting hanging from the wall, and he started strolling down the dim, narrow alley.

Further down, the path led upwards, over a hill, where a burgundy-bricked tower lay still, like an old tree. The tower had no reason to move anywhere; the occupants were quite happy to stay in the same place.

Valentine slowly approached the door, sighing as he gave the triangular door-knocker a good three thumps on the heavy wooden door.

"Who IS it?" A soprano voice wafted around in the air like a wayward kite.

"It's me, Auntie Kit, Valentine." He drew out the sentence in an impatient tone.

"Oh Valentine! I was wondering where you were!"

A husky lady opened the door. Her blue and orange octagonal mask barely covered her face, and her wild, brown curly hair was pushed back in all different directions. Gauzy orange cloth was wrapped around her torso, covering some shabby brown pants and a ragged brown shirt.

"I was worried you'd forgotten. The tea and cakes are ready!"

He hunched over and staggered into the petite opening of the door.

"You really ought to fix this door." He remarked.

Auntie Kit ignored him.

Valentine sat down at a small rectangular and dusty green table, laden with all kinds of pastries. The tea sat in a large lavender pot, steam rising from the top.

"Smells exquisite, Auntie."

"Tastes even better, my dear." She exclaimed happily.

He sat down and immediately poured himself a cup of the tea, then shoved the nearest cake into his mouth.

"Now dear, I didn't teach you to eat like an animal." She said.

"Sorry Auntie Kit…" Valentine apologized halfheartedly.

"So tell me, where have you been these past days?"

He paused.

"Just out practicing me art, looking for a fiddler…"

"Now you couldn't have been out all those days just looking for a fiddler…"

Valentine paused again.

"You probably wouldn't believe me if I tried to tell you."

Auntie Kit sat and waited, a patient smile creeping over her lips.

He sighed deeply. "Fine. You know when Torrey went missing a few weeks ago? Mum got all upset, said he had gone to find better job?"

"Yes, your poor Mum. She just couldn't figure out why he wouldn't want to continue creating that wonderful music for the Queen." She held her hands together tightly.

"Well, I found where he'd run off to. I went there me self."

"To where, dear?"

"Auntie, have you ever wondered if there's more out there than the City of Light, The Dark Palace?"

"Sometimes."

"Auntie Kit, there is somewhere beyond this place. Where people don't wear masks, where the cities are enormous, lights everywhere, people without masks everywhere, they wear strange clothes, ride in strange carriages. Most of them look like us, only…only more boring. Well, except my friend Helena…"

"Oh my. How do they know how people are feeling without their masks?"

"That's what I said. But Helena and the others are able to make, "faces", if you will. They're able to communicate quite clearly."

"Helena you say?"

Valentine stopped. He forgot he hadn't mentioned her before.

"She's....a friend I met in the other world. I met her...while I was looking for Torrey." His voice wavered slightly.

"Valentine," Auntie Kit's voice sharpened with suspicion, "how were you able to travel to this....other world?"

A heart-pounding silence filled the room, and Valentine's loud gulp of air echoed around the kitchen. He suddenly gripped the table tight, and got to his feet.

"Deary..."

"Fine fine..." He took a shallow breath. " When the White Queen fell asleep, and the shadows came, I went to help. Everybody was looking for some sort of charm. I... went looking for it at the Orbitning Giants, I went to the Dark Palace.."

"Oh yes! I remember now. Weren't they looking for a princess?" She interrupted.

"Yes, Auntie, but nevermind that, I found the charm! It was some sort of Mirrormask. It can transport you to the world Torrey went off to! Aren't you listening to me?"

She was very still, one arm raised to her mouth, fingers curled around her chin. It was as if she knew something and yet had a million questions to ask.

"I think I've hear of that Mirrormask somewhere.."

"What?"

"That mask. Something about it wasn't right."

"Like what?" Valentine's voice was full of skepticism.

"Where is the mask now?" Auntie Kit worried.

"What? I have it."

She stared at him gravely.

"Dear, please promise me something. When you go back to that other world to get Torrey, be careful."

"Promise." He said with a warm smile.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Politely as I could, I gave my thanks to Auntie Kit, and squeezed out the irritatingly cramped front door. I swear, I don't know what that woman was thinking; putting in a door she could scarcely fit through herself. Sometimes it was hard imagining her as my mother's sister. Course, I hadn't seen me mother in years, so maybe they did look alike now…

I wandered back down the path, a few minutes until I was back at the end of the alley I had come down from. The streets were nearly deserted as I came out by a long stretch of shops. The sun had sunk very low, casting a ruddy orange glow through the street. Shuffling, I roamed through the empty street, staring up at the melting sky. The stars began to come out, glittering faintly. They were dimmer then they had been the previous nights, but still as stunning as they were the night after the White Queen had woken up. I shook my head as my thoughts shifted towards old memories. I needed to concentrate at the situation at hand.

"Torrey… what're you doing?" I whispered to the vacant plaza I walked into.

My brother was not known for pulling stunts like this. He was the good boy, mum's favorite; the good brother. He had a respectable job he didn't have to be ashamed of, good looks, a bigger tower….

That stopped my jealous brooding. If he was gone, what was going to happen to the tower? His tower was probably furious. Not a good thing.

Torrey didn't even leave a note or anything. The only way I had found out he had somehow made it to Helena's world was the strange phenomenon that Helena said she experienced, the first time I met her. She looked into windows and saw herself, only it wasn't her, it was the Dark Princess. She had stolen the mirrormask in order to escape, and took over Helena's life on the other side.

Only it was happening to me, minus the evil girl.

Except, it wasn't the windows that let me see what Torrey was doing. It was something much more dreadful and…disgusting.

I let out a annoyed sigh as I approached the mask shop, knowing the batty old nag inside was waiting for me with a boring, unnecessarily long story.

As soon as I opened the door, a menacing looking sphinx stared back at me from atop the front desk. Its' dull purple face didn't look happy to see me at all.

"Hello there…" I mumbled nervously.

The sphinx snarled at me, and hopped away.

"Valentine, dear, is that you? Have I got a story for you today!" The owner cheerfully cried out.

"Fantastic…" I replied, rolling my eyes as I stepped into the tea room.

Cynthia, as I previously learned she called herself, came into the room and chattered absent-mindedly on the couch, thinking I was actually listening.

Looking around the room, I waited a few seconds before I decided to interrupt her.

"Cynthia, do you mind if I use your restroom?

Moving her head, she abruptly ceased her story telling.

"Oh! Of course deary. Right over there to the left." She said in her warbly voice.

I already knew where the washroom was, but she nevertheless told me each time I came to use it.

My feet slowly edged into the room, and I closed the door behind me, so she assumed I was not listening and wouldn't keep talking. Reluctantly, I leaned down against the window by the toilet. Muffins, the laziest sphinx I had ever seen, was once again, curled up in the toilet bowl. Weird little creature.

"Out you go. Shoo. I need some, quality time, with your bed."

I wasn't afraid of Muffins, he was always too tired to even growl, let alone maul me.

His beady little eyes winced, and he scrambled out of the bowl in one jump. He slinked over to the sink, dripping a trail of water along the floor, and climbed inside there instead.

"Bloody thing…" I muttered to him. Peering into the bowl, the water that was left at the bottom reflected at first only my face. Concentrating, a scene began to become visible in the pool.

I could see Torrey, walking around, maskless. From his hair to his chin, he was my complete double. The only thing different about him was his height. For his age, he was on the short side. Probably the only good thing that separated me from him.

He was walking in a crowded hallway, filled with younger kids filing past him

.  
One day I had come searching for Torrey at the mask shop, and when I went into the bathroom, I had stumbled accidentally onto this window to Helena's world. I knew he was in Helena's world from the time I was first able to see him in this toilet window. No masks at all, the strange clothes on everyone. It was a few views later that I also saw Helena.

She had been alone, slowly walking through a door and stood still by a long table, as the other kids around her were eating. Torrey had sat down at another table before she had entered the room, and was making friends with two other guys seated around him. He was cracking jokes, and they all laughed heartily.

Helena's usually animated face was vacant as she gazed at him, with the exception of her very large, very shocked eyes.

A thought had entered my mind, and I instantly knew what was going on. She thought Torrey was myself. And I wasn't supposed to be there. Because as far as I knew, and I think she knew too, I was not coming back. Not because I didn't want to, I knew I couldn't because I was too attached. All I wanted to do was be with her. But I saw the consequences of leaving this world, and staying in her world longer then you were allowed. The world fell apart. Violently. The time before, it shook apart, but I know it wasn't just the Princess's fault. Our world did not react well to elements coming and going from it. I didn't want to be responsible for that. Yet I couldn't allow Torrey to let it happen either. Once our world fell, everyone in it would be gone. I'd be gone, Torrey would be gone, Auntie Kit, Cynthia. And Helena. I didn't know what would happen to her, but I would never see her again. I had to bring Torrey back before it was too late.

"How…." I answered my thoughts aloud. Muffins looked up, irritated at my voice.

I stared back, and he finally went back to sleep.

Glancing back at the bowl, I went back to spying on Torrey. He was sitting in another room, at a desk, with other kids sitting around him, in identical desks. A tall, lanky looking man with a grey mustache and no hair on his head was talking, tossing his hands around sluggishly. During these glimpses, I cannot hear any sound, but what he was talking about must have been boring, because Torrey was nodding off. I saw Helena again, but she was seated farther back, by a window. She was not nodding off. Alert and very concerned looking, she looked like she was about to go to pieces. I felt helpless, and I could not stand seeing her like that.

I pushed off the ground away from the bowl, and stood up quickly. I had to go get him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Her fingers held her notebooks firmly in her arm, while she scurried down the hallway to her next class. Helena tried to slow down to delay her entrance, but to no avail. She was just going to have to deal with.

The door swung wide as she tried to saunter normally into class. It worked, until she went to sneak a quick look around the classroom. A few minutes later teacher walked in after her, but she took no notice. Terry , seated in the middle, was already staring with deep concentration at Helena. Hardly fooling him, she pretended to disregard him and took her seat by the window. Terry was becoming increasingly annoying.

While Mr. Lokin droned on with his lesson of the day, Helena leaned her head on her right fist, too absorbed in thought to listen. Suddenly, she heard the whisking of paper sliding against a desk, and something lightly touched her elbow. Looking down, it was a folded piece of notebook paper. She carefully picked it up and opened it.

Scribbled in messy cursive, a short sentence framed the top of paper.

"So, how are you doing today?"

Helena craned her head down, and read it again.

She knew it was from Terry. No one else in this class talked to her. "Why in the world is he talking to me?" she thought. The casualness of the note stunned her. Wasn't it obvious to from the rudeness she expressed in their last conversation that she didn't want to talk to him?

Annoyed, she crumpled the paper into a small ball and tossed it under her desk.

Soon another folded letter flew across the room and landed on her desk. This time she turned her head and shot him a nasty look. He was smiling like an idiot.

"Knock it off." Helena mouthed silently to him, her brows furrowed in frustration.

Terry bent down, jotted down something on a slip of paper, folded it, and flicked it her way. It landed with the same accuracy as the others did, by her clenched fist, resting on the surface of the table.

"Angry I suppose then? What did I do?" read the letter.

Fed up, she flipped the paper over, and forcefully carved the words "First off, your going to get us in trouble, second…"Helena hesitated. Thinking of letting her theory run out on the paper for just a moment, she decided against it. "…Second, you are getting on my nerves, don't you have anyone else to bother?"

She then flicked the note back to him, however missing his desk. Terry was quickly able to catch it in his hand before it made it to the floor.

Opening it, she saw him smirk, and then write down a response on the same side. The note skittered across her desk once again.

The first line said, "I seriously doubt that."

The second line said

"Come to think of it, I don't believe I do have anyone else to bother…besides, this is fun!"

"He's just bothering me for his own entertainment!" She thought to herself furiously.

This time, she smashed the paper together and threw it at him, not caring whether or not it made it to his desk. The crinkled paper lightly bounced off Terry's head, making him recoil with surprise. The amused look on his face vanished as he picked the paper up, looking at her now with unease. Helena gazed blankly towards the teacher, while he slouched down in his chair.

The bell rang, and the students around them scrambled out of their seats and proceeded out the door. She got up and followed them, vaguely aware that Terry was only a few steps behind her. Once she was out in the hall, she hastily walked to her locker, and began to open it. Suddenly Terry ambled over behind her.

"Look, I didn't mean to make you mad, I was only trying to make conversation…" He trailed off.

She swung around to face him vehemently, her eyes throwing imaginary daggers at him.

He flinched. "Ah! What the…Why is it you have such a problem with me? I'm just talkin'…"

"Where's…your…tower?" She slowly hissed at him, interrupting the middle of his sentence.

Terry paused, baffled. "What?"

She stepped towards him, now right next to his face.

"I said, where's your tower?" she murmured. Her eyes were now glaring into his hazel ones, waiting for an answer.

"I…." He stepped back, not expecting her intense movement.

Then he straightened up, and closed his mouth tightly. His face was still confused.

Helena then twisted around, and marched down the hall towards her last class,

leaving Terry in the hallway alone, scratching his head.

"Who are you…"He whispered to himself.

Instead of drawing, Helena took out notebook and began her math homework in the waning light of her window. It was distracting work, and she started to relax, her mind off the previous events at school.

By the time it was finished, the moon had already risen, and she could hear her parents causally talking over the quiet din of the TV. in their room. Yawning loudly, she shuffled over to her bed and submerged into a quiet sleep.

Meanwhile, Torrey was wandering to through the black streets to the apartment he shared with his dark-haired friend from school, Adrien. Adrien's parents had separated when he was 10, his father went to live somewhere in Asia, leaving him with his mother until she died in a car crash when he was 16. He now lived by himself in his three bedroom flat, and had a job to put him through school, with occasional checkups from a Child Welfare Services agent named Rufus.

Torrey met him while he wandered around town, and had stopped in to explore the school during lunch hour, and they became good friends. He was glad Adrien had accepted him so easily; he had grown tired of camping in a condemned office building near the wharf. The customs were strange, but he was happy to have some companionship while he explored this new world.

"Hey mate, what's up? Lasagna?" Adrien greeted him as he came in the door, pointing to a plastic dish full of oozing pasta and tomato sauce.

"Um, no thanks, I already ate." He lied, as he eyed the food. The food, it turned out, was the only thing people here had trouble making. Not like palace food.

Torrey gave a weak smile, and headed upstairs towards his small and sparsely furnished room. He hadn't brought many things with him when he used the mirrormask, but he would find a way to live without some of his luxuries.

After all, he thought, this world has plenty of opportunities He had already sold most of his possessions he did bring for money to pay Adrien rent, so he could spend more time looking for a job that stood out to him. He already was beginning to grasp how the society here worked, the reason for this thing called "school" he had learned was mandatory for everyone his age. Apparently what was considered normal behavior for kids was _not_ to go exploring about unattended by some blathering adult.

It was just this Helena character. She had thoroughly frightened him today. Was he hearing things when she had mentioned a tower? Surely he was mistaken. Nobody else suspected he wasn't of this world

Yes, she was cute and spunky, that was why she had attracted his attention. But was she insane? She was ignoring him, acting as if he had the plague. Yet, for what reason?

Was it she somehow knew about the other world? That was preposterous. Nobody knew.

He decided that she was just a deranged, pretty girl who had no idea what she was talking about.

Torrey rocked back and forth on his heels, admiring the view from his lone window.

Sighing, he took up his mandolin, and plucked a simple, slow melody.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

I was being enveloped in a heavy mist, and time itself felt like was being dragged along the ground. Walking slowly, I navigated with my hands outstretched, afraid I was going to bump into something in this strange, empty space. It went on forever, and I tried calling out, but it seemed to be devoid of anything. I couldn't really even figure out how I was able to walk, as it seemed there was no floor. The air was stagnant, and I began to feel the humidity spike, and the air warmed up rapidly. Sweating, the heat clung to my skin, and I found it harder and harder to breathe. The mist seemed thicker, and I realized it was smoke. The heat soon became overwhelming. My head swirled, and my thoughts didn't make any sense anymore. What was this? Why was I here? Again I tried calling out for help, for someone, anyone…I wasn't going to make it much longer….

Unexpectedly, I felt a coolness across my forehead, and soon it extinguished the heat and the smoke around me. I gasped loudly for air, thankful to breathe again.

Everything went dark, but I was aware of myself. My vision gradually came back, and I made out the end of my bed, while the moon was gleaming bright through my window. However, I soon made out a figure sitting on the right side of me, staring me down. The room was very hazy, and I thought I saw smoke winding along my walls and up over my blanket. Maybe I was dreaming, maybe my room had been on fire. Or my room had been that blank void. Everything still was jumbled, and I wasn't sure if any of this was real or not.

The figure on the bed came into view, even though I couldn't open my eyes all the way.

It was Valentine.

His mask was off, and his makeup was already washed off, unusual for him.

Or was it Terry?

"Terry!?" I asked with alarm. My voice was still weak, so it barely came out of my mouth at all.

"Terry?…I believe the name you're looking for is Valentine."

"Valentine!" I tried to sound excited, but I still couldn't trust what I was seeing or hearing. Smoke started to whirl around him, and the heat came back for a minute. The refreshing feeling returned as his arm reached up and touched my forehead.

"Do you feel any better? Your not looking so good." He questioned me, his voice dropping low with anxiety.

"Yeah, thank you for making the fire go away," was all I could think of to say.

His face soured.

"So are you here, or are you not? I'm not even sure I'm in my room…"

"Hmm. Helena…I'm afraid I'm not…here."

I frowned. I really wanted him to be here. This dream was annoying the hell out of me.

"You need to get some rest. I'm sure if you sleep you'll feel better." He mumbled quietly.

I felt his hand touch the side of my cheek, and he smoothed a lock of hair that was in my eyes. I smiled, but I instantly felt exhausted. Closing my eyes, I struggled to say goodbye.

"Why don't you stay? I don't want this to be over yet." I incoherently muttered.

"Sleep." He insisted.

I finally shut my eyes, and allowed the haze to float over me as I fell asleep.

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He got off her bed, assured that she was too worn out to try and fight off sleep. Valentine carefully slipped the damp washcloth from her head, and walked to the bathroom with it. Turning the tap, he let it soak in cold water before turning it back off and returning back to Helena's room, gently placing it back on her forehead.

"That should do it." He said quietly, so she wouldn't wake up again.

After making the decision to come back and find Torrey, Valentine reluctantly picked the mirrormask out of his pocket, and used to return to Helena's world, preparing himself by changing clothes and removing his mask beforehand.

This time it had plopped himself down in front of her bed, but she hadn't stirred from the sound of him dropping on the floor. It was dark, night time. She was supposed to be sleeping. Peering over her quilt, he noticed she was talking in her sleep, and sweating profusely. He tiptoed to her side, touching her forehead with the back of his hand, pulling it away in shock as he felt a burning sensation. She was very sick, and her breaths were becoming increasingly deep and raspy. Racing to the bathroom, he snatched a blue rag that was folded over a towel rack and ran it under some cold water. He then went to her bedroom and laid it on her forehead. That was when she had woken up, and in a confused manner, attempted to talk to him.

She had called him Terry, and for a minute Valentine thought she had said Torrey. That spooked him, but it was Terry, and he thought maybe she was referring to someone else. To comfort her, he corrected her, as the way she said Terry sounded like she was afraid of this person. She had seemed delighted when he mentioned himself.

Valentine was puzzled, however, by the fire she had mentioned to him. She was on fire? It must be the fever, he thought. It was raging out of control. Hopefully the wet rag was helping. Although, he didn't mind that it was messing with her train of thought, making it seem like she was just dreaming. It would be better if she thought he was just a figment of her imagination, because he could not stay very long. He'd come back later, to check on her one last time, but his priority was to go get Torrey and bring him back to his world, before anything else happened, to Helena or anyone else.

Standing back, he watched her, listening to her breathing become slower and more even as she slept. Satisfied, he moved closer to the window, and unlatched it.

"Goodbye." He whispered hoarsely, and plummeted out the window.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Plodding along the boardwalk, Torrey looked up towards the gulls that were crying above him. They screeched as they lazily darted up and around the grey swells beyond the beach. The sky was overcast, but the air was still warm. Since it was the weekend, he learned he didn't need to go to the school, so he had decided to go out and explore the southern side of town. Adrien could not come with him, saying he had a date with a girl from class, but he was the one who suggested the southern part, giving him directions to the beach. Torrey didn't mind, he didn't understand the complicated relationships that the boys here had with girls anyway, so he didn't ask about it.

He was admiring the churning water when a large red object caught his eye. He turned his head, and the red object became instantly familiar. It was a bright, shining circus tent, further down the boardwalk. Excitedly, he trotted towards it with a big smile draped across his face.

As he neared it, he could smell the popcorn, and a line of people weaved in and out around the main tent, leading all the way out to the path.

"Excuse me," he asked, poking a short, white-haired man with a tweed jacket on the shoulder. "…but where does this line go to?"

The old man glanced at him amiably, his cloudy blue eyes squinting.

"Why, this is for the Campbell Circus. Been coming to see it for years. Best circus I've ever seen…"

"Would you happen to know at what time it is starting? This evening?" he gazed past the line, towards the far side of the main tent. A throng of clowns and masked people were striding in and out of a slit in the tent material.

"Oh, they start about eight o'clock every night, never late. You getting a ticket, lad?"

"Not right now, but I'll get one soon enough." He began to move around the man.

"You might want to hurry, you only have about forty-five minutes until they start!" His call faded, as Torrey walked past the line, around the outer edge of the circus grounds. He casually went past the ticket booth, hiding behind a white horse that was being led to the area where the trailers were kept. As he neared the other entryway, the person leading the horse turned off the right, and he snuck quietly to the tent. Jumping behind a trash bin, a black and white painted clown suddenly emerged from the tent flap. When she was gone, he slipped into the main tent.

Inside, the dim lights cast a dull, orange light on the scene unfolding within. Masked people dressed in a dazzling array of colors swept before him, and he heard the sounds of violins and accordions. Some were talking amongst themselves, twirling juggling balls and batons in their hands. One man was lighting and relighting a long stick, which he then playfully plunked into his mouth and quickly pulled out again. Torrey saw a pile of masks and scarves next to a wooden barrel, and he promptly grabbed out a small white mask, decorated with curling plaster whiskers around the edges and painted with orange and red dots. He also found a shimmering blue-knotted scarf, and tied it around his head.

Pretending to be cleaning a rusty birdcage that was sitting in a stark area of the tent, the activity began to pick up, and the atmosphere buzzed with noise and energy. No one seemed to notice him.

"Laaaadies and gentlemaaaan, boooooys and girrrrrrls, are you ready to be thrilled to the very cores of your souls?"

A great rumbling voice vibrated in the air, and an even bigger noise responded as he heard the crowd roar. He made his way to a small hole cut in the tent's cloth, and he saw a scrawny man wearing a silver top hat and a ruby red mask open his arms out to the audience as they cheered.

"Then please put your hands together, for the lovely, Joanne of the Spanish Web!"

The audience exploded, as a woman in a glittering indigo leotard walked out of the far right side, and strode up to the ringmaster. Then he ran off, and she grasped a long rope hanging down from the ceiling, and climbed up. Torrey looked her over carefully, but she was far older and taller then Helena. She had the same grace that Helena had, he noticed, but it was definitely not her. Perhaps, he thought, Helena was dressed as a clown or something. Standing back from his peephole, he looked about the tent. There were fewer people scurrying around him, and it appeared most of the performers were huddled on the opposite side, where Joanne had made her entrance into the ring. Adjusting the curly mask on his face, he slowly moved closer to the other performers, but remained against the outer edge of the tent. He was glad he had decided to wear his normal clothing out, as the others were dressed in a fashion similar to him, which he thought was strange. In his head, he wondered if they too led the double life, being from the land of Light and Dark, but living in this strange world.

As he scanned the other performers, some having light-hearted conversations with others, he saw a recognizable figure. They were short, wearing a shiny, dark green leotard, with a simple black eyemask over their face. Wispy, brown hair stuck out under the mask's string.

"Yeah, I was just telling him, he doesn't need the rubber chicken, he's pretty good all by himself, if he would just lay off the horrible ventriloquist act, he'd be fine." Helena's soft voice said, loud enough for him to hear. The people standing next to her laughed with gusto.

"I think May has had enough of that, I heard she threw out that chicken yesterday." A squat man in a heavy yellow mask exclaimed, and shook his head.

"Poor Henry, I think he was attached to that thing. Wouldn't talk about it." Another person, a gangly woman in a violet eyemask chuckled, and patted the squat man on the shoulder. They all laughed lightly.

"Oh, that's me. Can you hand me those juggling pins?" Helena said, thanking them as she rushed out the parted curtains next to the group. The booming staccato voice was unintelligible the closer Torrey walked to where the people were standing. He faced away from the performers and peeked through a slit in the curtains. She was set across from the ringmaster, who was now dressed in white overcoat, and had taken off his hat. They were juggling white pins back and forth to each other, her smile astounding in the muted spotlights of the tent.

"Wow…" he muttered as he stared at them. They were perfectly in sync, not missing a beat.

Soon the orchestra, which he noted was a few notches out of tune, stopped, the audience applauded and she darted back to the entrance. When she appeared out in front of him, the large group of performers applauded her as well, and some gave her a few hugs. Visibly exhausted, she trotted over to a small water cooler. She took a large gulp from one of the little cups that were stacked on it, her eyes closed in relief. He took a few steps closer to her.

When she opened her eyes, she stepped back in surprise. Coughing, she covered her mouth.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, so startled me!" She looked up at him, first with a friendly smile, which turned into a suspicious glare.

"Excuse me, but I believe that's Henry's mask, and you're not Henry." Her eyebrows furrowed.

Torrey raised up his arm, and slid the mask off his face. Helena's eyes widened, and she gasped.

"What are YOU doing here?" She growled ferociously.

"You said you worked at the circus, so I thought I'd drop by." Torrey grinned slyly.

She shoved him, and walked over to a steamer trunk, where all the masks lay in a heap.

"You're lucky that was my last act. Now get out of here." She hissed, her back turned as she took off her eyemask.

"Well, I actually came here to ask you a few things…" He said courteously.

She ignored him, throwing miscellaneous scarves and articles of clothing that had fallen on the floor back into the streamer trunk.

"How did you know about my tower?" He demanded.

Helena stood up stick straight. Pivoting around to stare at him, he didn't move.

"You looked like someone I knew…tell me your real name."

"It's Torrey actually. Not very creative, I'm afraid."

Her face was unreadable. She then turned around, and walked out the back entrance, towards the trailers, finding her small one tucked behind her parents' trailer.

Terry ran after her, hands shoved into his pants' pockets.

"Wait!" he yelled.

Helena ran up the stairs into her trailer, and he followed her. She heard the door slam, and turned around to face him.

"Do you know a Valentine?" She asked forcefully, in the darkness, the only light the bright neon ones coming from the lights outside.

"He's my brother." He said quietly.

They both were silent as the revelation sat in the air, stagnant.

With a sigh, Terry broke the calm.

"So, how do you know him?"

"I created him. And I suppose along the way, I created you too." She said breathlessly, and sat down on her bed.

Terry's face contorted, confused. "Created?" He asked.

"I drew the City of Light and the City of Dark. And Valentine, well…he's a wooden marionette I made. They were all just… in my head."

"Not anymore…" He muttered softly. Walking over to her, he sat down next to her on the bed.

"How did you get here? Why did you come?"

"I used this mirrormask…" He pulled an inky blue, shiny vinyl mask out of his pocket.

"It was boring in that world, so I thought maybe the mask would take me somewhere more…interesting. My old job was just dull as anything…"

"What did you do there?" she said.

"I used to play this," he pulled his mandolin off the cord strapped to his back, " for the Queen of Light's orchestra. But I find the "school" thing much more fun. Especially since most of the lessons are incredibly easy, and you seem to have such a hard time learning anything." He giggled.

"I am NOT stupid, in fact I think you got most of the answers wrong on the last test we had in Mathematics."

"You keep telling yourself that…" Torrey replied smugly.

She glared at him. "Why are you in here anyway?"

"Well…" he took a breath, "I think we got off on the wrong foot, and I was hoping we could patch things up. Be friends."

Gazing at his face, she couldn't help but notice the same twinkling glow that she had also seen in Valentine's.

"You and him are so very much alike… and yet different." She whispered.

"Hmm." He exhaled noisily. "You are somethin' else."

He paused, and then suddenly, he leaned in, and kissed her on the mouth. Her eyes were still open, caught off guard. Baffled by the familiarity of the intense pressure and pleasure that she felt when she kissed Valentine, she immediately pulled away, knowing that it wasn't him.

"What? What happened?" A confused Torrey asked. He tried leaning close to her again, but she held her palm up.

"No. Please. You need to leave." She said, distraught.

"But why?" He got up, but was persistent.

"This isn't right. Now go." She was now pushing him out the door of the trailer.

Once he was outside, Helena slammed the door in his face. Stunned and a little angry, Torrey walked away, saying things under his breath.

Inside, Helena was coiled up on her bed, hugging her knees, shaking her head. She was unsure what to think.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

The air was crisp, and Valentine counted the puffs of white vapor that floated into the air as he breathed in and out. Even though the end of spring was coming, the nights were still tinged with cold winds. His shadow stretched out before him as he walked down the zigzagging maze of concrete walls. The sky was hardly visible above him, and it was devoid of stars. Valentine sighed quietly as he looked up at the dismal sight. This world wasn't nearly as colorful or interesting as the Land of Light and Dark, it was no wonder Helena had started drawing it.

A sharp breeze picked up, and scattered some newspapers down towards the end of the alley, and it gave him goose bumps on the back of his neck. Without warning, the scuffling of footsteps echoed off the barren walls. In a terrified moment, he had clumsily sprung behind a small trashcan. Panting hard, he peeked around the side. All he saw was the menacing black shadows that awaited him at the end of the path. Relieved, he let out an intense lungful of air and laid his head back against the hard stone. Valentines were not known for their bravery.

The sound of footsteps faintly reverberated around the alley again, and this time he slid out of his hiding place, and strode nervously to the end of the alleyway. The hum of cars along became louder, and he saw that it led out to a somewhat busy street, flanked with narrow sidewalks. Feeling more at ease, he stepped out into the open, watching as yellow taxis and shiny cars zoomed past him in the dim lights of the city.

"Scuse' me." A gruff voice grumbled as a heavy-set man walked around him.

Valentine turned his head as he suspiciously gazed after him. Looking around, he saw two shorter figures leisurely strolling in his direction. He twisted around, his back to the strangers as they got nearer.

"Yeah, I'm going with Ashley, who are you going with?" One of the figures asked in a mellow tone.

"Umm…ahh…this girl…you may know her, Helena? Her family runs the circus by the beach."

Valentines' head snapped towards the two, his ears recognizing the unsure boy's response. His eyes narrowed, and he slowly began to follow them.

"Helena Campbell? Sure. Yeah she's…interesting. She's in one of my classes. But Helena's been acting kind of strange lately."

"…. Really? Well…. she is sort of strange." Torrey gave a smug chuckle.

"If she's so strange, why are you taking her to the dance then?"

"Haven't you noticed, Adrien? She's totally hot! Of course I'm taking her."

Now Valentine clenched his fists with a frightening ferocity, and moved behind them, being careful to keep a long enough distance between him and the two boys. He was relieved to have finally found him, but that feeling was soon overwhelmed by his intense anger. How dare Torrey talk about Helena like that!

"Whatever man…" The other boy muttered. He didn't say it like he was disagreeing, but he sounded uninterested.

There was a short silence as the boys neared an Italian restaurant.

"Well, I'll probably be back late. Don't wait up." The boy named Adrien said.

"See you," Torrey replied in a semi-disappointed tone.

Torrey continued walking down the sidewalk, towards some residential neighborhoods. Valentine saw his chance to spring into action quickly getting away. As his brother continued towards some tall hedges, he ran and grabbed his shoulders, jerking him around to a shaded spot on the other side of the bushes.

"Waahhhh! Ahh! Please! Please don't hurt me!" Torrey wailed pathetically as Valentine held him face to face with him. His brother's face was twisted, waiting for some inevitable punch in the face, while squeezing his eyes shut.

"Oh hush, you ninny. It's me. Open your eyes."

Slowly, Torrey peeked open one eye, then the other. Than he bent over, gasping in relief.

"Valentine! Fancy meeting you here! What are you tryin' to do, kill me?" His voice became louder as he said the words " kill me".

"You! You got some nerve, y'know that? I've been lookin' everywhere for you, and you're not even supposed to be here!" Valentine vented in anger. He pointed a lone, accusing finger at him.

" What the hell are you doing here?" He asked, in such a fierce tone that his brother sported a slightly scared expression on his face.

"…. What, you thought I was going to waste my talents in that city for the rest of my life?"

" You could'a gone anywhere, anywhere!" Valentine moaned. " Why did you have to come here!" He paused for a minute. " Maybe a better question is how…did you get here." Then he crossed his arms across his chest.

A familiar smugness came over Torrey's face.

" Well how did YOU get here?"

The two brothers stood in the moonlight, staring each other down.

" Fine." Valentine gave in. Reaching into his robe pocket, he took out the silver Mirrormask. It glittered in the pale light.

"Oh, that's a pretty one." Torrey said with mostly genuine fascination.

He pulled out a smaller indigo colored one that gleamed with a liquid-type quality.

" I've heard of the Mirrormasks. Way back. Mum used to tell me stories about them."

" Okaaaaay. Well how did you get that one?" Valentine asked.

Torrey folded his arms, his expression an impatient one.

"Oh alright! When the Dark Princess went missing, this was what all the trouble was about. It was a…gift they gave me." He then waved his hand towards Torrey to give him his Mirrormask story.

" I was near the borderlands on a walk, and this bizarre little man, er..maybe he was a bird…he was all shiny, with black feathers. He said he was selling some things, watches, scraps of metal…and then he pulled this out. He didn't seem to know what it was, or was for, so he just gave it to me, for free. I knew it was a Mirrormask, so I used it to escape that dreary town and it brought me here."

" You took something from a complete stranger? How stupid can you be?" Valentine stopped and shook his head in annoyance. " Torrey…ya can't stay here…"

"Why not? I've got a lot of good things going for me here. Why should I leave? And how do you know Helena?" He replied defiantly.

" Because—…" The last question caught Valentine off guard.

" I…. well she kind of made the City, she traveled to it to save the White Queen. I met her in the City," he said in a hurried tone. "You stay away from her," he threatened. " Look, you can't be here. You're putting me, you, and Helena in danger."

"What danger? I don't see any danger," Torrey scoffed. He slowly began placing himself between the street and Valentine.

" You have to believe me, it doesn't seem like it now but sooner or later something bad is going to happen," Valentine pleaded with him.

There was a long pause, and Torrey scrunched his face up like he was thinking hard.

Suddenly, he stepped backwards. " Ahh, y'know what? I rather stay here," he concluded. He then raised one arm, and without warning, he was gone, as a rumbling monstrous machine roared past. Racing out to the street, Valentine saw Torrey waving and smiling, as he gripped an outer railing of a city transit bus, than climbed onto its roof as it rounded a bend in the road.

"No! Torrey! Get back here!" Valentine shouted, to no avail. His brother vanished into the shadow of the night.

He groaned in frustration in the middle of the empty road, hands holding his head.

" That little…" he started to say through clenched teeth. Valentine just shook his head, and looked down the road towards the dim lights of the city.


End file.
